State profile · WI
Largest Cities in Wisconsin
Ranked by resident population across 761 tracked cities and towns in Wisconsin, using Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). This compares cities and Census-designated places, not metropolitan areas.
- 761
- Cities
- 4,393,197
- Combined city pop.
- $73,046
- Avg median income
- 7.1%
- Avg poverty rate
Data updated July 2026
The headline finding
Milwaukee is the largest of 761 tracked cities in Wisconsin, which ranks #23 of 52 nationally on avg median income.
- Milwaukee
- largest tracked city (569,756 people)
- #23
- national rank, avg median income
- 761
- cities tracked in this state
Every figure here is read live from the same table rendered below.
87% of Wisconsin's 761 tracked cities are small towns under 10,000 people -- none crosses the 1-million-resident mark.
How we calculate this mix & the national home-value percentile below
Every tracked city in Wisconsin is bucketed by population: small town under 10,000; mid-size 10,000–99,999; large 100,000–999,999; megacity 1,000,000+. The national home-value comparison below plots Wisconsin's average tracked-city home value against all 52 US states/territories, ranked the same way as the per-city percentiles: the state's percentile is the share of states with a lower average home value. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
Largest cities in Wisconsin
By population, hover or tap a bar for income detail
- Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI
569,756 residents
- Madison
Madison, WI
275,568 residents
- Green Bay 106,585
Green Bay, WI
106,585 residents
- Kenosha 99,147
Kenosha, WI
99,147 residents
- Racine 77,155
Racine, WI
77,155 residents
- Appleton 74,873
Appleton, WI
74,873 residents
- Waukesha 70,779
Waukesha, WI
70,779 residents
- Eau Claire 69,274
Eau Claire, WI
69,274 residents
- Oshkosh 66,247
Oshkosh, WI
66,247 residents
- Janesville 65,813
Janesville, WI
65,813 residents
- West Allis 59,588
West Allis, WI
59,588 residents
- La Crosse 51,791
La Crosse, WI
51,791 residents
What this shows Milwaukee, WI is the most populous city profiled in Wisconsin; the full list of all 761 cities follows below.
How Wisconsin ranks nationally
Avg median income
$73,046
#23 of 52 · highest income
Avg home value
$207,956
#31 of 52 · highest values
Avg poverty rate
7.1%
#10 of 52 · lowest poverty
Tracked cities
761
#12 of 52 · most tracked cities
Wisconsin ranks #23 of 52 nationally on average median income and #10 of 52 on average poverty rate, derived live by comparing it against every other tracked state. Averages are computed only across the cities PlainCities tracks in each state, not full state populations.
How Wisconsin's home values compare nationally
Average tracked-city home value vs. all 52 US states/territories
$207,956 Among the most affordable more affordable than 60% of 52 US states
Each bar is a $50K-wide band; taller bars hold more US states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Which cities does Wisconsin include?
What to do with Wisconsin's city data
761 cities is a lot to browse, here's where to start.
- Milwaukee is Wisconsin's largest tracked city by population, start there if you want the fullest picture of a major WI metro. Milwaukee profile
- Chenequa has the highest median household income of any tracked city in Wisconsin, a different lens than population size alone. Chenequa profile
- See how Wisconsin's cities stack up nationally, not just against each other. National rankings
City counts and averages on this page cover only the 761 places with sufficient Census ACS data, smaller towns below the reporting threshold are not included.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cities does PlainCities track in Wisconsin?
PlainCities profiles 761 cities and towns in Wisconsin, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the largest city in Wisconsin?
Milwaukee is the largest tracked city in Wisconsin, with a population of 569,756.
What is the average household income in Wisconsin?
Across the 761 tracked cities in Wisconsin, the average median household income is $73,046. Individual cities vary widely, with Chenequa reporting the highest median income at $250,001.
What is the average poverty rate in Wisconsin?
The average poverty rate across Wisconsin's tracked cities is 7.1%, based on Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.